Alouettes set sights on No. 1 spot in the East

They know they’re in the playoffs and will host a post-season match at Molson Stadium. What remains to be determined is whether the Alouettes will finish first or second in the East Division. That much will be decided Saturday afternoon in Hamilton.

They know they’re in the playoffs and will host a post-season match at Molson Stadium. What remains to be determined is whether the Alouettes will finish first or second in the East Division. That much will be decided Saturday afternoon in Hamilton.

If only it was that simple.

A Montreal victory will make the point academic. But this being the Canadian Football League, the Als can also finish first, and get an opening-round playoff bye, should they lose by seven points or less.

Predictably, management and players are suggesting that scenario hasn’t entered their thought process or the equation.

“It’s not been an issue,” head coach Tom Higgins stated following Thursday’s practice at Stade Hébert. “There hasn’t been a comment. It’s about winning the game. We’ve been playing with a sense of urgency. The sense of urgency this week is we want to win. We want to stay on the level we’re at. Nothing has changed in our preparation, our talking, how we approached each day.

“You (as coaches) pay attention to what (the players) are saying, verbally and non-verbally. I couldn’t be happier where we’re at right now. Nothing’s being taken for granted. Everybody’s doing what they can to be sure.”

The Als (9-8) are two points ahead of the Tiger-Cats (8-9). A Hamilton victory would leave the teams tied. The first tiebreaker is head to head, and Montreal defeated the Ticats 38-31 in early September. In effect, that provides the Als with a seven-point cushion when the game begins. Should Hamilton win by seven, the second tiebreaker is the teams’ records within the division. Montreal’s 6-1, while the Ticats are 4-3.

“If we get first through a loss, we’ll take it,” Als safety Marc-Olivier Brouillette said. “We’re not going to say they should be in first.

“But we play to win,” he quickly added. “Hopefully, the situation doesn’t come up. I think there’s still a sense of urgency because of what we went through. Our 1-7 start still is fresh in our minds, and what the whole league thought of us.”

The Ticats haven’t lost since moving into Tim Hortons Field in September. Or course, as Higgins aptly pointed out, “they haven’t played us.”

Nonetheless, the Als haven’t defeated the Ticats on their various home fields since September 2010, a stretch of seven games. Last season, Montreal lost to Hamilton at Moncton — a neutral-site game in which the Ticats were considered the home team — and twice more at the University of Guelph, including 19-16 in overtime in the division semifinal.

The Als are on a six-game winning streak and undoubtedly are hoping to make it seven straight. The road to the Grey Cup is easier for teams playing once, not twice, in the playoffs. And the Als would like to continue reinforcing the belief they’re a competent and dangerous club for any team it faces.

“It’s the last game of the regular season. We need to finish that stronger than we started,” defensive-back Jerald Brown said. “Points don’t come into play. We’re playing to win. We’re not thinking about losing by a certain amount. We’re playing to win. That’s how you get rid of that thought process.”

Win or lose — especially if by more than a converted touchdown — the Als’ transformation has been incredible. With eight wins in nine games, the entire league has sat up and taken notice. Indeed, this is the biggest turnaround in CFL history — better than British Columbia in 2011, when it started 0-5, split its next two and then won 10 of the final 11. The Lions’ record was better, but the Als were six games below .500.

“We knew we had no room for error,” Higgins said. “Not a lot of people would believe a 1-7 team could go on a streak all of a sudden. But that’s what happened. We’ve been playing with urgency, doing all the little things right. We’re talking about writing a fairy-tale story. Continue what we’re doing. There’s a beautiful story that’s being written — and they’re the authors of it.

“What’s scary and exciting, we haven’t played our best football yet. We’re not satisfied. I love that about this team. It hasn’t reached its potential. Maybe defensively, but I don’t think so. We can be better in all three phases.”

Notes — Cornerback Geoff Tisdale (concussion) still hasn’t been medically cleared and likely won’t play against Hamilton. Brown would move over to play boundary corner, with Dominique Ellis replacing Brown at halfback. Jamaan Webb would be activated to replace Tisdale on the 44-man roster. … While rush-end Gabriel Knapton (knee) has recovered from his injury and is feeling better, he’s unlikely to play according to Higgins. Fellow rush-end Aaron Lavarias also remains sidelined (knee). … The Als have added non-import linebacker Kyle Norris to potentially play on special teams this weekend. He was drafted by Edmonton last season and also spent time with Winnipeg.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.